Interview : Cesar Santalo

The world has always been filled with extremely talented individuals, the problem has always been being able to share your creations with the world. Up until the about the last decade, you couldn't just hit upload and have your creation sent to all your followers. We are all blessed to have the internet as we know it today because now we don't have to stand out on the streets handing out Mix-tapes or sit outside a record label hoping for the right person to walk out so you can then hand them your music with only hopes of them actually listening. With so many people being able to share their music we have been able to experience so much good music in so many good ways. Everyone develops their own unique style based off of who they grew up listening to, and every single person has listened to a different circle of artists growing up. This can only lead to a limitless amount of unique artists. Its a great time for musicians and listeners alike. This week we sat down with Cesar Santalo, a artist who blends styles effortlessly and is able to create his own unique sound.

INTERVIEW

Q. How old are you, where did you grow up and where do you stay now?

A. "I’m 20 years old and I’ve been born and raised in Miami. I also currently live here now."

Q. Is there a good creative Scene there? What was it like growing up in Miami?

A. "Yes, Miami is a city thriving with art and culture. Growing up in Miami is great because it’s a big melting pot of different people and you get to experience all of these different cultures in one place."

Q. So you would say Miami had a decent influence on you in your decision to start creating music? What else inspired you to make music?

A. "I always had a creative side to me. Growing up I used to draw a lot because my dad is an artist so I grew up around art. But, when I was 14 I wanted to try music but never had the guts to do it. Finally at 18 when I got into college one of my friends made a mixtape and I said to myself if he did it so could I. I asked him where he went to record and he gave me his contacts, I booked a session, and the rest is history."

Q. Have your parents been supportive of your passion?

A. "My parents are my number 1 supporters. Having their support makes everything so much better and easier."

Q. What college are you going to and what are you majoring in?

A. "I go to Florida International University (FIU) and I’m Junior majoring in Communications."

Q. What are some of your goals as an artist, big or small?

A. Well my main goal is to keep creating great music and keeping it true to myself.

Small goals:

Get signed to a record label

Get verified on Instagram

Hit 1 million streams on a song

Big Goals:

Tour around the country

Collab with a major artist

Play Coachella

Reach over 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify

Q. Who have you looked up to creatively?

A. "I get my artistic visions from my dad but I get my song writing skills from my mom because she is a great writer. But an artist I look up to is Frank Ocean"

Q. As time and your career moves forward are you looking to stay in Miami or is there some place you’re looking to move?

A. "Honestly I love Miami so much and if I can stay here for as long as possible I’ll try to."

Q. Who are some of your favorite people that you’ve worked with, and who would you like to work with in the future?

A. "As of right now I’ve just worked with my friend Alfredo who is my producer and my sound engineer Chris. My all time goal is to work with Frank Ocean in the future"

Q. If you could describe your music to someone who has never heard it what would you say?

A. "I’d say it’s just real because it’s real emotion and real stories that I’ve experienced."

Q. What do you feel is your best song you’ve ever released and why?

A. "I feel like the one that appeals to the most people is Purple because it’s so catchy. But I’d have to say my best songs are Do You Try and Everybody. Do You Try was different because I was talking about something I hadn’t in any of my other songs which was just realizing who I was as a person. “Everybody” I just feel is so underrated for what it is. I have people tell me that all the time and that it’s my best song because some of the lyrics are so relatable."

Q.What advice would you give someone who is debating following their passion or not?

A. "It’s never to late to start. You’re never going to regret doing something you’ve always wanted to do. It’s better to go out and try to achieve it then opposed to not trying and having questions later."

Q. What is your biggest challenge when creating?

A. "I just never know what mood I want to create and what story I want to tell or how I am going to tell it."

Q. Do you pay attention to others' strong reactions to your work? Does that affect what you create?

A. "I always get recommendations on what I should create next but honestly when I listen and try to cater to others it doesn’t sound or feel natural to me

I like when my music isn’t forced and it’s what I wanted it to sound like."

Final

Cesar's music is truly unique and I really don't see how he doesn't make it big if he keeps up his work ethic. The team around him is dedicated and solid. He has raw talent, his voice doesn't need to be drenched in auto-tune for it to sound good. Personally I really do love Cesar's music, I've had it on repeat multiple times and have gone through his whole Soundcloud, truly an incredible artist. Hopefully this interview was able to help you get a little more familiar with Cesar, might as well do it now cause you're going to see him everywhere soon. Thanks from the whole Burbs team to Cesar for doing the interview. We wish him luck on his journey.

Follow Cesar on his Social Media

Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud | Spotify